Lug wrench brace



y 1966 J, H. CLINE ETAL 3,

LUG WRENCH BRACE Filed April 7, 1965 Flsla. FIG.4.

INVENTORS JOHN H. CLINE JACKIE D. CLINE BY M?}Aym ATTORNEYS United States Patent M 3,262,341 LUG WRENCH BRACE John H. Cline and Jackie D. Cline, both of RR. 2, Wakeeney, Kans. Filed Apr. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 446,353 5 Claims. (Cl. 8153) This invention relates to tire-changing tools and, more specifically, to a brace used in combination with a lug wrench while removing dual truck wheels.

The ordinary L, T and X-shaped lug wrenches for removing the nuts from the studs of a passenger car wheel are satisfactory and present few problems for the user. These same wrenches, when used on the dual wheels of a truck present quite a different situation. One of the main problems is the recessed position of the studs which requires that a wrench having a socket located a considerable distance from the handle be used. When the considerable torque required to loosen the nuts is exerted upon the handle, the wrench oftentimes slips off the nut injuring the user. In some instances, the nut is damaged to the point where the socket will no longer effectively engage same making removal thereof even more of a problem. It is even possible to bend the stud or strip the threads to the point where the nut may have to be chiseled free.

Ordinarily, hand pressure is insufficient to break the nuts loose from the studs, especially if they are rusted in place, and a hammer or short length of pipe on the wrench handle to increase the effective lever arm is needed. When using other tools besides the lug wrench, it becomes extremely difficult to hold the latter aligned with the stud because the forces exerted thereon are torsional and displaced laterally a considerable distance to one side of the stud axis. This difiiculty is so common among truck owners that many attempts have been made in the past to solve it, most of these efforts taking the form of some type of brace that will hold the lug wrench in alignment on the stud while the necessary blows, or steady torque, are applied thereto to break the nut loose.

These prior art lug wrench braces have taken several different forms, none of which has proven particularly satisfactory. By far the majority of them comprise some type of ground-supported stanchion. If the ground is dry, relatively level and firm, they can be anchored solidly enough to do the job. Unfortunately, all too often, they are needed on a rutted dirt road, on sandy soil or in the mud where the forces exerted on the wrench force the stanchion down into the ground or cause it to tilt precariously. When this occurs, the stanchion becomes substantially useless and the user must resort to other.

methods for removal of the lug nuts.

The ground-supported stanchion is also very unhandy and time-consuming to use. Of necessity, it must include some provision for adjusting the height of the wrench-supporting element because each of the wheel studs will be a different distance above ground level. Thus, after each stud is loosened and removed, the stanchion must be moved to a different position on the ground and adjusted to the proper height. It might be possible in some instances to jack up the wheel first and bring the nuts around to the wrench, however, it becomes difficult to hold the wheel in such a rotarial position unless someone else is around who can operate the brake and, unless the wheel is so held, it will turn under the influence of the torque applied to the nut causing the wrench to come off or the stanchion to tip over.

The other disadvantages of the stanchionstype lug wrench support are their bulk, complexity and cost. Many of them are every bit as complicated as an automobile =jack, yet, they fail to perform their intended function well enough to justify the expense of owning one.

3,262,341 Patented July 26, 1966 The second major type of lug wrench support is that which fastens onto the wheel hub. This design has the advantage over the stanchion type of being consider-ably simpler, less costly, independent of the condition of the ground, and, once adjusted, it will hold the wrench in the proper radial position to reach all of the studs by merely turning it around the hub. Despite these advantages, there are still some problems associated with use of this type of brace. To begin with, nearly all of these hub-mounted braces include a collar or cap that fits over the wheel hub and is releasably secured thereto against rotation by one or more radially-extending bolts. These, of course, must be loosened each time the collar is turned to a new position which operation is time-consuming and troublesome. While some styles include a collar that remains in fixed position on the wheel hub and have the wrench-supporting element mounted for rotation relative thereto, this results in a complex and rather expensive set-up that is hard to justify for such infrequent use.

The other difficulty with the hub-mounted braces is their dependence upon the hub design. For instance, if the hub is tapered, they will not work satisfactorly. Also, some hubs are fabricated from thin-walled metal or a casting which may bend or break under the forces to which the brace is subjected.

It has now been found in accordance with the teaching of the instant invention that these and other problems can, in large measure, be eliminated through the use of a simplified lug wrench brace that comprises nothing more than an arcuate shoe which rests against the inside of the wheel rim, an inwardly-extending radial arm terminating just short of the circle defined by the wheel lugs, and a tool rest or saddle in the form of a short section of a tubular sleeve split diametrically. This tool brace has all the advantages of the hub-mounted brace in that it functions independently of the ground, requires no adjustment to accommodate the different studs, will work just as well with the wheel jacked-up as on the ground, and is far simpler. It is also superior to the hub-mounted unit because it makes only frictional contact with the wheel rim and eliminates all fasteners that must be loosened each time the brace is moved to a different radial position. :In addition, the brace acts against the wheel rim which is always fabricated from heavy stout stock easily able to withstand any forces to which the assembly is subjected. Furthermore, the unit is extremely simple, has no moving parts, costs very little to produce, and requires no adjustment because no more than two or three different sizes will handle all the popular wheels.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and greatly simplified lug wrench brace.

A second objective of the invention herein disclosed and claimed is to provide a lug wrench support for use on dual wheels that braces against the wheel rim rather than the hub or ground.

Another object is the provision of a lug wrench holder that has no moving parts and requires no adjustment to accommodate the different wheel lug locations.

Still another objective of the invention forming the subject matter hereof is to provide a unit for bracing a stud nut wrench that is not fastened to any part of the wheel and thus eliminates the necessity for releasing and refastening same when moving from stud-to-stud.

An additional object is to provide a device of the character above-described that operates equally well with the wheel jacked-up or resting on the ground.

Further objects are the provision of a lug wrench bracing tool that is simple, inexpensive, compact, rugged, versatile, easy to fabricate, and adaptable for use with any of the common lug wrench designs.

aasasar Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawings that follows, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a dual-wheel assembly showing a lug wrench supported in position to remove a stud nut by the brace of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the dual-Wheel assembly, lug wrench and brace, portions of the wheels having been broken away and shown in diametrical section to better reveal the brace construction;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the brace alone to an enlarged scale; and

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along line 44 of FIG- URE 3.

Turning now to the drawings for a detailed description of the present invention and, initially, to FIGURES 1 and 2 for this purpose, it will be seen that reference numeral lit) has been employed to designate the dual-wheel assembly in its entirety, numeral 12 to similarly denominate the lug wrench, and number 14 refers broadly to the brace. The dual-wheel assembly is conventional and is of the type commonly found on trucks of various sizes. The axle housing 15 carries the brake drum 13 and also houses the axles that drives the wheel disks and 22 by means of a common drive flange 24 located therebetween. Projecting outward axially from the center of the drive flange is the hub 26 which passes through the aligned central openings 28 in the wheel disks 22. The wheel-mounting studs 30 depend from the exposed face of the drive flange 24 and are arranged in equiangularly spaced relation around the hub at a greater radial distance from the axis of rotation.

In the particular form shown, the wheels 22 are dished and arranged back-to-back so that the studs 30 pass through the contacting portions 32 thereof that border the hub-receiving central opening. With the wheels in place on the studs, hex-headed nuts 34 are threaded on the studs to hold both wheels in assembled relation.

The outer margins of both Wheel disks 22 are bordered by an integrally-formed cylindrical annular skirt 36 which members are, in turn, surrounded by the wheel rims 38. In most dual-wheel assemblies, the wheels are offset toward the inside of the tire rim on the outside wheel and toward the outside thereof on the inside wheel due to the reversed position of the latter. This leaves a considerable portion 40 of the wheel rim exposed on the outside of the outer wheel as seen in FIGURE 1 thereby providing a rather substantial cylindrical surface against which the arcuate shoe 42 of the brace can bear. As in most tire rim constructions, the cylindrical rim wall 40 is bounded on both its inside and outside edges by radial flanges 44 that seat against the beads 46 of tires 48 and form an air-tight seal therewith.

Note that by insetting the wheel disks 22 toward the adjacent edges of the two tire rims and placing the concave wheels back-to-back leaves the studs 30 and nuts 34 recessed several inches inside the tire. This, of course, requires that the lug wrench 12 have a long shank 50 so that the handle 52 will be free to turn when the socket 54 on the other end thereof is in engagement with the nut 34 on the wheel-mounting stud. It is this long shank that requires the support and creates the previously-mentioned problems in connection with removal of the stud nuts.

Next, with reference to all four figures of the drawing it will be seen that the lug wrench brace comprises an arcuate shoe 42 curved on approximately the same radius as the tire rim 38 against which it is to bear. Actually, the inside radius of cylindrical surface 40 of the tire rim and the outside radius of shoe 42 do not have to be the same for the brace to work because it will provide adequate support if only the ends or central portion of the shoe contact the rim. There are, however, relatively few different sizes of standard tire rims and it presents no problem to curve the shoes to fit them exactly.

Now, projecting inward radially from the center of the shoe 42 is a strut 56 which is welded thereto as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. As illustrated, this strut comprises a short length of strap iron placed such that the front and rear broad faces thereof parallel the curved edges of the shoe. There remain, of course, a variety of other strut configurations that will serve the same purpose and function to withstand the compressive loads placed thereon. The length of the strut is such as to closely approximate the radial distance separating cylindrical surface 40 of the tire rim and the circle defined by the series of studs. Obviously, strut 56 could be fabricated in two parts with a pin and slot or other adjustable connection therebetween which would permit said strut to be lengthened and shortened to accommodate varying radial distances between the stud and tire rim circles; however, to do so renders the brace more complicated and expensive. On the other hand, the variations in these radial distances among the several dual-truck wheel manufacturers are relatively few thus permitting specific models to be made to fit a particular wheel. In fact, one model will oftentimes fit several diiferent wheels.

At the inner end of strut 56, a semi-circular notch 58 is cut to receive saddle 60 which is welded therein. This saddle comprises a short section of pipe or tubing cut in half longitudinally or diametrically to produce a semicylindrical troughed tool holder 62 sized to receive the cylindrical shank 58 of the lug wrench for rotational movement therein. For best results, the axis of the semicylindrical saddle surface 62 should be coincident with the axis of the stud whose nut 34 is being removed when the shoe 42 is resting against surface of the tire rim 38. The saddle will engage the lug wrench shank at a point intermediate the handle 52 and socket 54 as shown in FIGURE 2 thus forming a seat therefor that will keep the wrench aligned as torque is applied. The strut 56 functions to transfer the load applied to the saddle when the wrench is turned down to the shoe and against the tire rim. In moving from one lug nut to another, the shoe is merely skidded along the inside of the rim until the strut is on the same radial position as the stud.

Of course, the lug wrench brace above-described is,

i by no means, limited to use on dual truck wheel assemblies although they cause the greatest difficulty in removal of the stud nuts. It should, therefore, be understood that smaller versions of the brace can be made for use on ordinary passenger car wheels. While most men have little difliculty in removing the wheel nuts on a passenger car, they sometimes give women trouble.

Having thus described the several useful and novel features of the lug wrench brace of the present invention, it will be apparent that the many worthwhile objects for which it was designed have been achieved. Although but one specific form of the brace has been illustrated and described herein, we realize that certain changes and modifications therein may well occur to those skilled in the art within the broad teaching hereof; hence, it is our intention that the scope of protection afforded hereby shall be limited only insofar as said limitations are expressly set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The lug wrench brace which comprises: an arcuate metal shoe curved to seat against an inwardly-facing surface of a tire rim, a radially-extending strut having its outer end fastened to the shoe intermediate the ends thereof and its inner end terminating approximately the same radial distance from the axis of wheel rotation as the axis of the wheel-mounting studs, and a saddle-forming element mounted on the inner extremity of the strut adapted to support the shank of a lug wrench for rotational movement in position to remove the nut from a wheel-mounting stud when the shoe is located on the inside of the tire rim such that the strut occupies a position substantially parallel to a radial line passing through said stud.

2. The lug wrench brace as set forth in claim 1 in which, the outer surface of the shoe is curved on the same radius as the inside cylindrical surface of the tire rim against which it seats.

3. The lug wrench brace as set forth in claim 1 in which: the inner end of the strut is provided with a semicircular notch, and in which the saddle comprises a short tubular member split in half longitudinally and fastened within the notched end of the strut.

4. The lug wrench brace as set forth in claim 1 in which, the contacting surface of the shoe is cylindrical.

5. The lug wrench brace as set forth in claim 3 in References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,447,919 8/1948 Teigen 81-53 2,761,340 9/1956 Harrington 8154 3,097,550 7/1963 Johnston 8153 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

I. L. JONES, IR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE LUG WRENCH BRACE WHICH COMPRISES: AN ARCUATE METAL SHOE CURVED TO SEAT AGAINST AN INWARDLY-FACING SURFACE OF A TIRE RIM, A RADIALLY-EXTENDING STRUT HAVING ITS OUTER END FASTENED TO THE SHOE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND ITS INNER END TERMINATING APPROXIMATELY THE SAME RADIAL DISTANCE FROM THE AXIS OF WHEEL ROTATION AS THE AXIS OF THE WHEEL-MOUNTING STUDS, AND A SADDLE-FORMING ELEMENT MOUNTED ON THE INNER EXTREMITY OF THE STRUT ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE SHANK OF A LUG WRENCH FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT IN POSITION TO REMOVE THE NUT FROM A WHEEL-MOUNTING STUD WHEN THE SHOE IS LOCATED ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE RIM SUCH THAT THE STRUT OCCUPIES A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO A RADIAL LINE PASSING THROUGH SAID STUD. 